In recent times, gearboxes having coaxial input shafts as disclosed (e.g., in DE 199 23 185 A1) have been the subject of intensive development efforts, due to the expectation that in combination with a double clutch for driving the two input shafts they will allow to combine advantages of conventional automatic transmissions, such as easy handling and interruption-free shifting, and of conventional manual transmissions such as fast shifting and high power efficiency.
The double clutch required for the operation of a gearbox having coaxial input shafts occupies considerable space, so that a gearbox of this type is difficult to integrate in an engine compartment of a compact motor vehicle. This causes an increasing demand for gearboxes which can accommodate a high number of gears in spite of reduced dimensions, in particular in the longitudinal direction of the shafts.
In view of the foregoing, at least one object of the present invention is to provide a gearbox capable of satisfying this demand. In addition, other objects, desirable features, and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.